Geosphere vs. Groundspeak geocaching

[+TheAube]

I've been looking into getting something to geocache with. I currently have a iPhone 5 but will be getting a new phone shorty. I've been using the Groundspeak app since I started. I saw some people raving about how good Geosphere was. Does Geosphere log you smilies like the Groundspeak one does? Would I have to transfer my one I already found? So what does everyone use?

[+Bear and Ragged]

I've been looking into getting something to geocache with. I currently have a iPhone 5 but will be getting a new phone shorty. I've been using the Groundspeak app since I started. I saw some people raving about how good Geosphere was. Does Geosphere log you smilies like the Groundspeak one does? Would I have to transfer my one I already found? So what does everyone use?

 

If the app links to your account, and you log in with your caching details, nothing needs to be 'transferred' if you change phones.

 

IF you change phone (eg Apple to Android or Android to Apple) if you paid for an app you will have to pay for it again. Keeping to the same eg Apple to Apple, you should be able to re-load from a previous back up, or the store should allow you to download again for free.

 

Groundspeak Approved API Partners can be found here > https://www.geocaching.com/mobile/partners/default.aspx

[+Beach_hut]

Geosphere is an API partner and you can use it for logging caches in the same way you can use the GS app now. I'm not sure to what extent you can discuss "rival" apps on this forum so I won't go into the differences here. But you can use your existing account so you won't have to transfer anything as such, but you will need to pay for it (on a one-off basis)

[+geodarts]

I have been using geosphere for many years, and deleted the other caching apps on my phone. I use it as a mini-gsak to identify and manage caches of interest - merging and filtering search results. It imports gpx files (including those made through gsak or pocket queries) - and exports them so that I can send the cache information to my gpsr should I want to use that. Geosphere allows "bookmarks" on the cache page that I use to link to offline routing programs, including the free Here maps and apps like Navigon - a push of a button and I have voice routing to the cache. I can edit the coordinates or description of a cache page, view its source, use it offline, or ignore a cache from within the app. It has the best display of a cache page I have seen in a mobile app, and would never do an Earthcache without it. Several features that I have seen requested with the Groundspeak app have long been part of geosphere. It is one of the reasons I have kept within the iOS universe and retained premium membership here. It has powerful features - and some may find that there is a learning curve - although it has always seemed intuitive to me. It has some instructional videos that cover a lot of the basics, although I have never had to look at them.

 

But here is the caveat. The developer is only now beginning to work on an update. It has worked flawlessly on my iPhone 6 (now running 9.2 beta), but some people have had to install a "language fix" that is available in the app to resolve certain problems after iOS9. It tended to freeze on my iPad running 9.0 - although there are workarounds discussed on the geosphere site forums, I reverted the iPad back to 8.4.1 because it was not worth the annoyance. I hope Mark (the developer) will release an update at some point, but it remains the best caching app I have used (and I have tried and paid for several of them).

Edited November 8, 2015 by geodarts

[+mikeD]

I used geosphere and the ground speak app

However I now use Looking4cache pro. From the app store. ALSO KNOWN AS L4C

About the the same price as geosphere was but it is as good if not better. An update came today

It comes from Germany and takes a little work too understand it and it's flexibility. Just like geosphere

 

Have used it for six months now

You can log a find at the same time as logging a TB at the same gz and upload a photo.

 

The killer feature is the ability to have offline maps downloaded to the app.

Just been to Japan, china and Belgium. Loaded my PQ and the regional maps. Even used the downloaded OSM maps for getting about and sightseeing

I am in the UK and have all of UK OSM permanently loaded. 1.2gb

Check it out

[+mikeD]

Should have said I have an iPhone 6 with 64gb

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I have Geosphere and the Groundspeak App on my phone for the few times I chose to use it....cheap enough to have both.

[+thebruce0]

Long-term geosphere owner and beta tester.

I'll echo all that geodarts said. By far the best iOS geocaching app. Although I haven't tried L4C to the extent that miked has described, I have downloaded and played with it a bit, and found a bit more of a barrier - perhaps language-based, but I really preferred the geosphere UI.

 

Geosphere does have a slight learning curve because of how much is packed into the app, and how many possible shortcuts you can learn the more you use it, but it's amazingly flexible and solid (which is why it hasn't really needed many updates and bug releases over the years). Mark has recently chimed back in (he was legitimately away for quite some time the last year or two) to confirm that a new version is being developed.

 

Any bugs that we've come across recently from the latest ios updates are relatively minor annoyances, and Mark is typically on the ball with finding a quickfix around it (like that 'language patch')

 

I've used it since having an iPhone 3GS, with a 4S, 5S, and now I'm still using wonderfully and exclusively on the 6S Plus.

Definitely recommended.

 

Would also love to have offline map ability though

[+geodarts]

Would also love to have offline map ability though

 

Maybe that is coming! But on trips to Scotland and Iceland/Ireland I installed caching apps with offline maps (buying the full versions of geobucket and L4C respectively) but never used them. The cached maps in Geosphere gave me the information I needed and the links (bookmarks) to Navigon, Here, and Pocket Earth got me where I wanted to go. It was such a good system that I added waypoints for many of the places I wanted to visit, where there was no convenient cache to provide guidance.

 

Every once in a while I reinstall some of the other apps just to see how they have developed, but I have never found a better UI than geosphere. However, both geobucket and L4C offer free versions so you can try before you buy. If either work for you, you may not want to look elsewhere.

[+mikeD]

I too have Geosphere.

I had a steep learning curve with that dealing with all the filters etc.

L4c is a bit like that as well

I must say that the UI is bright and clean as per IOS 9. going back to Geosphere seemed warm and chunky!. Personal preference I suppose.

I use L4C for everything, one can log finds off line then edit later and bulk send. You don't have to put in "comments" at. "Find" time like you do on the official app. I find that annoying when one wants just to get on.

 

I think BTW that with the lite L4C you cannot download off line maps